Welcome to New Hope Missionary Baptist Church

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church was founded in 1925 by a group of Christians who had been holding worship services in various homes. Reverend John Morgan was elected as the first pastor, and the church was named “New Hope.” The initial sanctuary was a house on Eastern Avenue (now James Buchanan Drive), owned by Mrs. Hana McSwain.

After Reverend Morgan died in 1927, the congregation called on Reverend Waddell Johnson to assume the pastorate. During Reverend Johnson’s leadership, the church purchased a house on Davis Street to accommodate the growing congregation.

In the mid-1930s, Reverend R.D. Chambers succeeded Reverend Johnson. Under his leadership, the decision was made to build New Hope’s first edifice on a hill on Davis Street. Under the supervision of Walter Luster and the church’s assistant pastor, Reverend L.R. Swinney, the frame building soon took shape with the help of church members. Reverend Chambers resigned after this accomplishment, and Reverend L.R. Swinney was elected as the fourth pastor. Under Pastor Swinney’s leadership, the membership continued to grow, and the church building was reinforced with brick. In the 1960s, the congregation decided to start a fund to meet the demands of the growing membership.

In the spring of 1971, the old church was demolished, and a new church was built. The membership salvaged usable equipment such as pews, the pulpit, bulletin boards, and a piano, and worshipped under a tent in a field off Eastern Avenue. On October 17, 1971, New Hope members held services for the first time in the new sanctuary after holding Sunday School in the tent and marching to the church, singing “We’ve Come This Far by Faith.”

After Reverend Swinney’s death in May 1974, Reverend A.E. Freeman became the fifth pastor. Under Reverend Freeman’s leadership, the church grew spiritually, particularly around foreign missions. The church purchased an organ, established a bus ministry, and made its baptismal pool available to sister churches for year-round baptisms.

Reverend Freeman retired in June 1995 due to failing health, after serving for 21 years. He passed away shortly after his retirement. In December 1995, Reverend Cyronose Spicer was elected. He was installed as the sixth pastor on February 18, 1996. He served faithfully for three years before resigning in August 1999.

The church operated without a pastor until April 2000, when, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Pastor Franklin H. Collins became the church’s seventh pastor. Under his leadership, the church extended the sanctuary, purchased new pews and carpeting, added Sunday School classrooms, restrooms, a new pastor’s study, and a dining hall, and dedicated the extension with a cornerstone laying ceremony on August 4, 2002. Pastor Collins transitioned from labor to reward in June 2012.

Following Pastor Collins’ death, the church installed Pastor Reginald S. Boyce as their eighth pastor on January 19, 2014. At the age of 25, Pastor Boyce became the youngest to occupy the pastor's office. Under his leadership, the fellowship hall was dedicated and renamed after Pastor Franklin H. Collins. Numerous ministries were added, and the church began offering an orientation class for new members. The church also adopted a new logo, mission, and vision statement.

In August 2017, Pastor Boyce met with the church family to announce his acceptance as the senior pastor of his home church, Riverside Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis, TN. Once again, the church began searching diligently for a Pastor to lead God’s people. Finally, in March 2018, the church elected Pastor Cleavon Meabon III of Hogansville, GA by way of Wynne, Arkansas as their ninth pastor. Pastor Meabon's mission for New Hope was to impact the church and surrounding community by teaching them the fundamental truths of God’s word and equipping the saints for the work of service. Under his leadership, the church continued to grow spiritually although there were some rough struggles as the world suffered a pandemic that changed the environment of worshipping together in the sanctuary. Thus, on January 31, 2021, Pastor Meabon ended his pastorship at New Hope to return to his home in Wynne, Arkansas.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) As the congregation, accepted each previous pastor in the charge to the congregation; we were reminded that the sacred partnership between a congregation and pastor is not happenstance but rather a holy arrangement orchestrated by an omniscient God. Therefore, on the 1st Sunday in December 2023, God blessed us with our tenth Pastor, whose desire is to lead the people of God to a greater knowledge and deeper relationship with the Lord by proclaiming the Word of God, by equipping the saints to accomplish His work and purpose by fulfilling the commandments of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Pastor Mitchell Turner of Ripley, TN, and former pastor of St. Luke Baptist Church in Greenville, TN answered the call of God first, willingly, and the members of New Hope Baptist Church to continue to lead and teach at the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 150 Davis Street, Jackson, Tennessee. He was installed on March 10, 2024.

Throughout our church’s history, we can proudly say that God has been and continues to be good to us.